Intentionally aiming toward a more joyful life

Monthly Archives: January 2017

I have really been an emotional roller coaster these last two weeks. Our new president frightens me so much and I have been alternating between weeping in depression and fear, and getting angry and taking back my power (and therefore being productive around the house). My Facebook feed has turned into a political forum. Gone are the LOLcats and kid pictures. Everything is about our president and his hateful, planet-destroying behaviors. In response I’ve decided to become a revolutionary and (re-)join a riot. Continue reading →

I decided to do something a little different the other day. In great hubris, I thought maybe people would like to see what a normal day in my life is like. I hope that a normal day in my abnormal life will be as interesting as an abnormal day in someone else’s normal life. If nothing else, I hope you at least find something to laugh at. This day was a snow day, so it is mostly typical of weekends or school vacations. If you enjoy it, let me know, and I can do another one about school days, which look significantly different because there is more time to do solitary things.

I have been struggling with my blog over who owns whom lately. I have been doing a lot of work on my relationship with myself over the last year and my priorities have shifted. I am now taking more time to do things that I enjoy, especially time that I have previously used to zone out online reading clickbait from Facebook. I have come to value my time more and be more productive. My house has gotten into better shape as I have kept up on the chores better, I have been publishing this blog three times a week, and I have picked up my crafting again. Continue reading →

This week, I dried apples for the first time. This is a simple preservation technique, and I’m not really sure why I never did it before. I wanted to make these delicious sounding Apple Pie Caveman Bars from Civilized Caveman, and it called for dried apples. I actually looked for dried apples at the grocery store, but we didn’t find any. Then the light bulb kicked on and I remembered that my dehydrator was actually meant for drying things, not just making yogurt. Continue reading →

Although I titled this like a tutorial with the words “how to”, it isn’t one. Instead, it is more a realization that I had today. With our words, we often ask for help, but then with our actions, we push it away. We often don’t realize that we are doing it, and we get frustrated. With awareness, we might get our words and our actions into better alignment. Continue reading →

Last century, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Before she was 10 minutes old, she uttered her first word. No! That has been the theme of our relationship ever since. She has been a very strong-willed child her whole life. She knows what she wants, and she doesn’t let little things like reality get in the way. Continue reading →

One of the items my daughter put on her Christmas wishlist this year was an apron. That was easy for me to take care of. Aprons are practical and pretty, and I have a few myself. I found the perfect bacon-themed fabric for her at JoAnn and purchased one yard. I figured one yard would be enough for most any apron I would probably want to make up. After I got home, I found a crossed back apron design I liked and decided to make my own pattern for one. I think it took me about four or five hours to draft the pattern and make it up. Continue reading →

So many people make New Year’s resolutions to improve their lives at this time of year. According to Nielsen, popular resolutions include health goals, happiness goals, and financial goals. I usually fall into the 16% of Americans who don’t make resolutions. I know that real change needs to come from within, and simply flipping a page on a calendar is not sufficient motivation to sustain real change. At least not for me, and I guarantee I am not unique in this. Continue reading →